Hide Wires

If you use speakers that are built into the walls or ceiling, it will look better than on wall speakers. You still need to cut a hole in your drywall and run speaker wires through your wall, but you end up with a nice clean look.

You can also paint the grill the same color as the wall or ceiling. Since most manufacturers speakers are the same size, you can upgrade the speakers down the road. Using wall or in ceiling may reduce your room’s sound proofing. You can’t quite aim the entire speaker in the direction you’d like, but some have a tweeter that is directional. Sound quailty will vary, check the sensitvty rating for any speakers you are thinking about buying.

Design a Home Theater

A good Home Theater design process will require you to decide how big your screen will be and whether you’ll have a front “projector” or a fairly large TV. The size of screen will matter so that you can determine where your first row of seating will be. Each screen size has an optimal viewing distance. If you start with a smaller screen but plan to get a bigger one later, take that into account when designing your seating

locations. You’ll need the flexibility to move your seating backwards as the screen gets larger.

During the planning stage its best to draw out your designs or get room design software that gives you the fast flexibility to make changes and see them three dimensionally. First measure your room and draw out the basic frame. You’d be best served by drawing everything to scale. If you are just dreaming about screen sizes and don’t actually own one, then get the dimensions off the internet from Vutec and use those in your drawing. Do the same thing with any furniture you intend to use. If you are getting all new pieces then you can get those dimensions off the Cinema Tech website to at least get an average measurement. Plug these numbers into your plan-o-gram and start playing with the room arrangement. Don’t forget about the optimal viewing distance from your screen! You don’t want to be so close your eyes burn or too far back to see it. Often the company website for your dream TV or projector will list that perfect seating distance. This distance will also be a factor in speaker location as you’ll want that first row of seating to get the optimal sound from all speakers.

Every home theater has one perfect sound location, all others can hear it but tend to have one sound range higher or lower than another. You want an almost equal distance from each speaker location, but audio adjustments can be made to make up for an odd shape or size.

Roll Tape and Catch it Later

If you have a busy schedule and can’t find time to watch your favorite program the time and day it comes on, I have a solution. Use a DVR. They come built in to your cable or satelite box. DirecTV, Dish, Uverse and FIOS all have it. If your watching TV off air, get a VCR and tape it. My suggestion if you are really excited about this idea is to look at going in and making all your TVs linked together and watch your recordings anywhere in the house. http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/technology/wholehome

Why a Professional Installer

Most home systems installers live and breathe
technology. It’s their passion. They attend trade
shows to learn about new systems and take
courses to expand their knowledge of all things
electronic for the home. These activities have
become necessary parts of a home systems
installer’s job description. They are essential to
fully understanding the types of technologies
that are best for each client’s home and how to
design and install the systems so they work without
a hitch. A home systems installer not only
knows the difference but can also tell you why one is better
than the other. Try comparing the specifications listed on the
placard of two big-screen TVs, and you’ll quickly realize just
how difficult it is to comparison shop.
A home systems installer’s breadth of knowledge runs very
deep. While his specialty might be audio systems or security
systems, he probably knows a lot about lighting control systems,
home management systems, heating and cooling systems,
home theater systems and networking systems as well.

3D without the Glasses

If you have never heard of Paul Darbee, you will if he is successful in convincing the powers that be. He has a computer technology that takes a two dimensional image and performs a data processing step he calls “pixel stacking”. Its done by combining left and right stereo camera angles, similar to how our brains see with our left and right eye. This technology is important because when it finally comes to market, if it comes to market I might say, it will make it possible to forget the 3D glasses. Hooray. The product is called a Visual Processing Box and can be added to enhance the depth of most any 2D HDTV out there. So buy a 3D HDTV today because you are not able to wait and I won’t blame you. 3D makes images really pop out at you and immerse you more than just high def. But if you do wait or don’t feel like paying extra for a 3D set now, you may still have an option if Darbee gets his way.

Turn Back to Turntables

Remotely Simple

If you have the best electronics that money can buy  but cant get it to pause or mute when someone or something needs your immediate attention, you may need to spend just a little more on a universal remote that will simplify your life immensely. The number of different remotes I would need to control my home system is ten. I use one $500 remote, and it is worth every penny. The individual remotes are in a box, in a cabinet, that I seldom touch anymore. The universal  remote I have, allows me at the touch of a button to turn on my TV and Audio Video Receiver that sends video to the TV and sound to my 5 speakers and 2 subwoofers. The first source that appears on screen is my favorite music station via DirecTV. I can leave there or immediately find my favorites window on the remote to pick news, weather or sports with one push of a button. Now I can settle in and enjoy some time in my favorite chair with an adult beverage…..excuse me I am being interrupted by my dog wanting back in….pause….now I am back, “heres  to the good life,Cheers”.